AFC Fylde 1 Darlington 2: Dos Santos screamer consigns Coasters to back-to-back defeats

The Coasters created several first-half chances but fell behind on the stroke of half-time, when Jake Lawlor headed in from a Dan Rivers corner.

Nick Haughton equalised early in the second half with a superb free-kick from just outside the area but Kevin Dos Santos’ thunderbolt secured the points for the visitors.

Jim Bentley made several changes to the side beaten at Brackley Town last time out, with Jack Evans, Ben Tollitt and Jorome Slew named in the starting line-up in place of Luke Conlan, Tom Walker and Luke Joyce.

However, Bentley was forced into further changes shortly before kick-off as Danny Whitehead and Walker both pulled up in the warm-up, meaning Joyce was back in the starting side, with David Perkins and Owen Robinson now on the bench.

Also among the substitutes was striker Mark Cullen, signed on the day of the game from Hartlepool United.

Proceedings began quietly, with no clear-cut chances for either side.

However, the Coasters were keeping the ball well and opportunities started to present themselves.

The first fell to Slew on his full debut but the striker drilled his shot straight into the arms of Tommy Taylor.

Haughton found pockets of space around the area throughout the game and he teed up Danny Philliskirk, who took a touch on the edge of the area but fired wide.

Haughton had a chance of his own when he collected Nathan Shaw's crossfield pass and drifted inside, but his swerving shot intended for the far corner of the net flew just wide.

Despite the Coasters’ pressure, the visitors took the lead in the 45th minute, when Rivers floated a corner to the back post, where Lawlor was waiting to squeeze a header over the line.

But once the second half got under way Fylde were level within three minutes. Slew was fouled on the edge of the area and Haughton stepped up with a delightful free-kick into the top corner.

Chances were flowing once again for the Coasters and Haughton whipped a free-kick into the six-yard box from out wide but Tollitt headed just over.

Fylde introduced Cullen in the 66th minute but it was the visitors who regained the lead two minutes later.

Again it followed a period of Fylde pressure as Dos Santos struck a spectacular winner from distance.

Twice Fylde went close to an equaliser, first when Philliskirk's shot on the turn looked bound for the bottom corner until Taylor got down well to keep it out.

And when Haughton's cross to the far post reached substitute Robinson, his header was inches wide.

Fylde remain fourth in National League North, though they now trail third-placed Kidderminster Harriers by nine points and leaders Gateshead by 16.

Fylde: Neal, Pike, Davis, Obi, Evans, Joyce, Philliskirk, Tollitt (Robinson 78), Shaw (Cullen 766), Haughton, Slew; Subs not used: Stott, Conlan, Perkins.

Darlington: Taylor, Wheatley (Hatfield 64), Storey, Hedley, Mondal, Rivers, Dos Santos (Rose 79), Lawlor, O’Neil (Cassidy 85), Purver, Griffiths; Subs not used: Ellis, Lambert.